British sprinter showed strong ability with Olympic and European champs success
British sprinter Jason Kenny has made it clear that he is out to beat Chris Hoy in the run-up to the London Olympics, hoping that he, and not Hoy, will qualify for the sprint events at the Games.
The 22 year old had his confidence boosted by a keirin win in the recent European championships, and also picked up bronze in both the sprint and team sprint races.
Hoy was one of two riders who combined with Kenny to land bronze medals in the latter race. That proved to be the Scot’s only medal of his Euros campaign; he passed up the chance to ride the keirin as he has already qualified for the 2011 worlds as defending champion, and was knocked out due to a tactical error in the first round of the sprint.
With a maximum of just one place being available to riders from each qualified nation in the London Games, Kenny knows that he will have to beat multiple Olympic champion Hoy to secure his place in the events. In an interview with the Guardian, he believes that this is possible.
“He’s not unassailable,” he asserted. “He’s top quality but he’s another rider like anyone else. He’s there to be beaten.
“It’s a long way away, he’s looking as good and as committed as ever but at the end of the day they want the best rider to go to London and medal.”
Hoy took a superb hat-trick of gold medals in the Beijing Olympics, winning the keirin, the sprint and the team sprint. Kenny took one gold, being part of the team sprint squad with Hoy. He also took silver behind Hoy in the sprint there.
While the Scot has a far better palmares, time is not on his side. He is 34 now and will be 36 in the London Games. Kenny, meanwhile, is just 22 years of age and should continue to gain strength as the next 18 months tick by. That could make him danger man number one for Hoy’s gold medal aspirations.